Self-propelling wagon-train



(No Model.)

. J. B. OSBORNE.

SELF PROPELLING WAGON TRAIN. I

No. 352,346. Patent-ed Nov; 9,1886.

lUNrrnn STATES JONAS B. OSBORNE, OF DAGGETT, CALIFORNIA.

SELF-PROPIELLING WAGON-TRAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent. No. 352,3Q6, dated November 9, 1856.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JONAS B. OSBORNE, of Daggett, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented an Improvement in Self-Propelling W'agon'lrains; and I hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to the class of wagontrains, and more especially'to those which are self-propelling.

My invention consists in a wagon-train, each member of which is provided with-its own propelling mechanism, while one is provided with the means for generating the-motive force or power, said force or power being transmitted through suitable connecting mechanism to the propelling machineryof each member, whereby each effects its own progression, and does not depend upon the trac'tile power of the others, all of which I shall hereinafter fully describe.

The difficulties of transportation where railroad privileges are denied have led to the formation of wagon-trains drawn by traction-enginesor road-locomotives. These, while comparatively successful over good and welldefined hard roads, prove complete failures in desert countries, where thcroads are sandy and soft. This is due to the fact that much of the tractile power of the locomotive is lost because its great weight and the resistance of the train causes it to sink deep in the sand, which impedes its progress.

The object of my invention is to overcome this difficulty by removing from any one member of the train the work of pulling the others and-give to each its own traction merely, fun

Lishing from the leading member the motive power only, and no tractile power whatever. In other words, instead of concentrating the tractile power in a single member of the train, I propose to divide it proportionately among all the members, giving to the leading memher the work of generating the original power,

ways of accomplishing this.

fraction to sink in a soft or sandy road, and the whole train is therefore better adapted for such a road:

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my wagon train. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of two of the Wagons.

The train is composed of the leading memher A and the following members B O D, re spectively. .These may all be any suitable form of wheeled vehicle, though I find that the simple two-wheeled trucks here shown are the best for thetpurpose for many reasons, the principal ones of .which are the greater facility in turning without cramping the connections and the adaptability to be constructed with dumping bodies or beds.

The wheelsof all the trucks are ofthe usual character of traction-wheels, and the trucks are coupled together by any suitable connections, such as are shown by E, permitting each to have its necessary independence of movement.

On the leading truck A is mounted a steam boiler, a, an engine, a, supplied by the boiler and having a driving-shaft, a from which power is transmitted to the crank-shaft a the ends of which carry pinions a, meshing with annular gears a, secured to the truck-wheels Any other arrangement of the power mechanism may be used, the object being to transmit enough power to propel the truck A. The object now is to furnish aport'ion of the original power directly, and not through traction, to the succeeding trucks. There may be several I have herein illustrated two, naniely: Upon the truck B it will be seen I locate two engines, consisting of steam cylinders b, provided with the usual steam -ports, valve chest, pistons, &c., and having pitmen I) connected with a crank-shaft, b the ends of which carry pinions b meshing with annular gears b on the truck-wheels. A steam pipe, F, leads from the boiler on truck A to these cylinders 2), whereby steam is furnished for their operation, and in this way the truck B is propelled by its own machinery, operated'by power transmitted directly from the source of power on the leading truck. The leading truck does not, therefore,

act as a traclion'engine, except topropel itself. It draws no load, for the succeeding trucks follow, not by traction from the first, but of themselves. These means for conveying the original motive force direct may be employed throughout all the members of the train; and at present I deem them preferable to any others,- but instead of thus conducting the steam from the boiler to each truck by means of a pipe suitably coupled in sections I may use the power-transmitting mechanism shown between the trucks 0 and D. Here an endless belt, G, passes around pulleys c (l 011 shafts c (1 under the trucks, said shafts carrying pinions 0 d meshing with annular gears c d on the truck wheels. A vertically adjustable gravitypulley, f, keeps the belt taut while it is conducted in a straight line to its pulleys, no matter at what angle the trucks may stand with relation to each other, by the verticallyarranged guide-rollers c d" on the adjacent ends of the trucks. WVhen such means as these are used for transmitting the power, the engine upon the'leading truck will, of course, be made powerful enough for the purpose.

The pinions which mesh with the wheelgears may be affected by clutches to throw them into and out of gear with the shafts upon which they are mounted, thus providing for the discontinuance of the operation of any member of the train.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, isw 1. In a wagon-train the members of which are suitably coupled, independent propellingengines upon each member of the train and connected with the driving-wheels, and a steam-boiler upon the leading member of the train, connected with and operating the engine on the succeeding members, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. In a wagon-train the members of which are suitably coupled, independent gearing upon each member of the train, by which its drivewheels are operated, in combination with a steam-boiler on the leading member of the train, steam-engines upon each member of the train and connected with the gearing thereof, z n'l suitable steam-pipes, by which the steam from the boiler is con eyed to the engines oi 'each member of the train, substantially as described. v i

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

, JONAS B. OSBORNE.

\Nitnesses:

I. O. DU BOIS, J. H. BLooi). 

